Foyle Salmon with Butter Sauce
Gently poached salmon fillets bathed in a glossy chive and lemon butter sauce. A celebrated heritage dish inspired by the historic River Foyle fishery.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 35 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 510 kcal
Equipment
- •wide shallow saucepan
- •small saucepan
- •fish slice
- •wire whisk
- •measuring jug
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 510 kcal
- fat
- 42 g
- carbs
- 2 g
- fibre
- 0 g
- protein
- 32 g
- calories
- 510 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Pour the water and white wine into a wide shallow saucepan on the hob.
- 2
Add the lemon slices, bay leaves, peppercorns, dill sprigs, and half the salt to the liquid.
- 3
Bring the liquid to a gentle simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes to infuse flavours.
- 4
Lower the salmon fillets carefully into the poaching liquor skin-side down.
- 5
Reduce the heat to low, cover the pan, and poach gently for 8 to 10 minutes until opaque.
- 6
Melt one cube of butter in a small saucepan over low heat and soften the shallot for 2 minutes.
- 7
Add two tablespoons of hot poaching liquor and one tablespoon of lemon juice to the shallots.
- 8
Whisk in the remaining cold butter piece by piece over low heat until thick and glossy.
- 9
Stir the snipped chives and remaining salt into the butter sauce, then remove from the heat.
- 10
Lift the salmon fillets from the liquid with a fish slice and place onto warmed plates.
- 11
Spoon the warm herb butter sauce over the fish and serve immediately.
Chef's tips
Do not allow the poaching liquid to boil vigorously or the salmon will toughen and flake apart. Keep the butter sauce over very low heat while whisking to prevent the emulsion from splitting.
Ingredient substitutions
- dry white wine → an equal amount of water with an extra squeeze of fresh lemon juice
- fresh chives → finely chopped flat-leaf parsley or scallion greens
Storage
Store leftover poached salmon in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days; the butter sauce is best made fresh.
Reheating
Gently reheat leftover salmon covered in a low oven at 140°C with a splash of water until just warmed through.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Boiling the poaching liquid too hard, which makes the delicate fish dry.
- •Melting the butter too quickly over high heat, causing the sauce to separate into clear oil.
- •Leaving the salmon in the hot poaching liquid after it has finished cooking.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Foyle Salmon with Butter Sauce?
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